What's HOT on the Cookbook Shelf

Filed in archive Books (and Mags) for Cooks on October 19, 2008

The list of new cookbooks released every month is seemingly endless. Here a few of October's highlights.

Cook's Illustrated magazine has compiled more than 250 slow cooker recipes in their new cookbook, The Best Slow and Easy Recipes: More Than 250 Foolproof, Flavor-Packed Roasts, Stews, and Braises That Let the Oven Do the Work.

Something magical happens with certain foods when you slow down the cooking: flavors deepen and become more complex, meat turns meltingly tender, and fruit and vegetables develop a rich, caramelized exterior. With The Best Slow Cooking Recipes, the cooks at America's Test Kitchen have taken a fresh approach to classic slow cooking techniques to give you uncomplicated recipes that are worth the wait.

Look for the release of Spain...A Culinary Road Trip this week. This beautifully photographed journey through Spain is the companion book to the prime-time public television series, starring chef Mario Batali and actress Gwyneth Paltrow.




Ina Garten simplifies things in her new book, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, which comes out at the end of this month.

For longtime fans, Ina delivers new insights into her simple techniques; for newcomers she provides a thorough master class on the basics of Barefoot Contessa cooking plus a Q&A section with answers to the questions people ask her all the time. With full-color photographs and invaluable cooking tips, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics is an essential addition to the cherished library of Barefoot Contessa cookbooks.

Ten: All the Foods We Love and Ten Perfect Recipes for Each by Sheila Lukins uses the unique approach of identifying 32 food items that fuel people's passions, then offering ten unique and fabulous ways to serve each one.